Windows Server 2016 software-defined storage: Key features of Storage Spaces Direct

"TechTarget Chinese Original"

Microsoft introduced storage Spaces Direct in Windows Server Technical Preview 2. This feature expands local storage to a highly available (HA) storage System.

For example, Storage Spaces Direct supports insertion into the PCI Express bus using low-cost, low-performance, high-capacity SATA-like drives and solid-state devices such as SSD and serial storage architectures. This approach is known as nonvolatile memory Express (NVMe) or nonvolatile Storage Control Interface definition. Both SATA and Vnme-based devices do not support earlier storage spaces clusters and shared disks.

From a particular standpoint, administrators can use storage Spaces direct to configure HA storage using a valid disk in each cluster and a JBOD unit attached to the server. This approach reduces the cost and complexity of creating SAS disk arrays, while using non-volatile storage devices to improve storage performance and SATA disks to use inexpensive, high-capacity storage. Storage Spaces Direct provides the possibility for HA-level storage and in-enterprise software-defined storage applications.

Administrators who plan to experiment with storage Spaces direct need to remember some of these considerations and limitations. For example, storage Spaces direct should be deployed through Windows PowerShell rather than through Server Manager or failover Cluster Manager, although Microsoft may be in storage In future versions of Spaces Direct, management through other platforms is supported.

In addition, Storage Spaces Direct does not currently support disks (disk arrays) that are connected by multipath, nor does it support multipath I/O. If you have a multi-path configuration, the experimental environment should simplify the environment before deploying storage Spaces direct.

There is no final hardware Compatibility List, so storage Spaces direct does not guarantee that any SAS, SATA, SSD disk, Host bus adapter, or remote DMA NIC combination is valid. There are some problems with compatibility and performance for some hardware, firmware, and software combinations.

Windows Server 2016 software-defined storage: Key features of Storage Spaces Direct